Indian PM Manmohan Singh to step down after 2014 elections

New Delhi – India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says he will step down after elections this year even if his Congress party defies predictions and sweeps to power for a third consecutive term

“In a few months’ time after the general elections, I will hand over the baton to a new prime minister,” he said today in opening remarks at his first full press conference in three years.

Singh (81) had already hinted strongly at his intention to make way for leader-in-waiting Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Gandhi dynasty that has dominated India’s politics since independence in 1947.

He said Congress would announce its prime ministerial candidate in due course.

“Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials. I hope our party will take that decision at an appropriate time,” he added.

Polls show Congress is extremely unlikely to emerge as the winner in the world’s biggest election due by May this year, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party making gains under hardline leader Narendra Modi.

“It would be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as prime minister,” he said in a strong attack on the Hindu nationalist rightwinger from western Gujarat state.

In his time as prime minister, Singh has seen his formerly stellar reputation built up through his work as a reforming finance minister in the 1990s tarnished by corruption scandals and slowing economic growth.

He has defended his legacy, regretting high inflation, the graft scandals and weak growth in manufacturing output, but hailing his government’s work for the rural poor and farmers.

- Sapa-AFP

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Picture: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

India's PM says to step down, backs Gandhi as successor

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ruled out on Friday serving another term after an election due by May and threw his support behind Nehru-Gandhi dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi to lead the country if their party wins the vote.

Singh, a soft-spoken economist, was unusually scathing about opposition leader Narendra Modi, who is ahead of Gandhi in several opinion polls, saying it would be "disastrous" if he were to become prime minister.

The 81-year-old Singh has presided over India for a decade at the head of coalitions led by the Congress party.

As finance minister 22 years ago, he deftly ushered in reforms of a state-shackled economy that helped launch years of rapid growth.

But on Friday, with growth at a decade-low, he conceded that the government had failed to generate employment in manufacturing, to control inflation and combat corruption.

Those problems will make it a difficult election for Gandhi, who has largely failed to win votes for his party when campaigning in state elections, if he is chosen to lead the Congress into the vote.

"In a few months' time, after the general election, I will hand the baton over to a new prime minister," Singh said at a rare news conference, adding a "new generation" would guide the country.

Singh, who was widely expected to step down after the vote, said Gandhi, 43, should be the Congress party's prime ministerial candidate.

"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to be nominated as the ... candidate and I hope our party will take that decision at an appropriate time."

The Congress is due to hold a top-level meeting on January 17 and is expected to announce its candidate soon afterwards.

Gandhi used to head the Congress party's youth wing and is the party's vice president. His mother, Sonia Gandhi, is party president.

Whoever gets the nod will face off in the election against Modi, of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is campaigning on a platform to end the red tape and graft that have bedevilled the Congress-led coalition.

Compared with the relatively untested Gandhi, Modi has years of experience as the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, where he has built a reputation as a business-savvy and investor-friendly administrator.

But he has been unable to fully shake off allegations over anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 in which at least 1,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims.

Modi denies wrongdoing and a Supreme Court investigation found no evidence to prosecute him.

MAVERICK

On Friday, Singh made a pointed reference to the riots under Modi's watch when dismissing a suggestion that he had been a weak prime minister.

"If by strong prime minister you mean that you preside over the mass massacre of innocent citizens in the streets ... I do not believe that sort of strength this country needs. Least of all in its prime minister," Singh said.

BJP leaders were quick to condemn the comments. Spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman said on her Twitter account she was "utterly disappointed" by Singh's remarks and a senior party leader Arun Jaitley said Modi's three election wins to become chief minister of Gujarat proved he had voter support.

Many Congress members, particularly younger legislators, are calling for Gandhi to be made the prime ministerial candidate quickly as they hope that will rejuvenate the party's image and deflect public anger with current leaders.

Gandhi has in recent months tried to style himself as a maverick and make clear he condemns corruption. In September, he denounced an executive order from the government allowing convicted lawmakers to stay in office and stand in elections.

India's electorate is increasingly dissatisfied with the traditional subsidies and handouts that have helped Congress win previous elections and is looking for an end to corruption, a strong economy and a firm hand on inflation.

The anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has just trounced Congress in Delhi elections and come in a close second to the BJP, barely a year since it was created, proving that graft is firmly on the agenda.

On Friday, Singh endeavored to salvage the image of his leadership and government, touting welfare measures and saying it was "for historians to judge" his record.

"I have every reason to believe that when history is written of this period, we will come out unscathed," he said.

The news conference was only the fifth Singh has held as prime minister, according to his office, a statistic that does nothing to temper criticism that he is ineffective and out of touch.

"It makes no difference now what the prime minister says," said Prem Shankar Jha, a political analyst. "As far as this election is concerned, the Congress is doomed."

(Additional reporting by Malini Menon; Editing by Jo Winterbottom and Robert Birsel)

kan55 minutes ago

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This family got the name Gandhi through nefarious means. They are not related to Mahatma Gandhi in anyway. Congress has been ruling India for the last 60 years. All that happened during these years was continuous siphoning of wealth out of India (nothing new for India, has been happening since 12th century). What India needs now is a real Indian rule, only then will this country gain any popularity for its genuine down to earth ideologies and principles which it had 9 centuries ago. The growth in India has happened because of private software growth which congress is trying to take credit. I know how much the govt. taxes these software companies - the govt. has always been opportunistic trying to tax the private sectors to death.

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Cotetoi1 hour ago

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The new Gandhi's are not cut from the same cloth as the Great One. Singh should be given credit for bringing in reforms that have transformed India. As for the other social problems, corruption, nepotism: those will take a few decades still. Changes come very slowly in a huge nation.

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ivan10 hours ago

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the election outcome was most likely decided months ago...but let the peasants vote if it makes them feel better...

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askar3 minutes ago

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i live in canada why am i reading indian curry schit

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khalid1 hour ago

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An odd country if it can be called that!

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Mr. Bill8 minutes ago

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India's democracy may not be perfect but its the best government that can be
expected for a land with a pop.of 1billion+ people and 40 perhaps 100 languages . It has a
long way to go and a lot of changes to be made in terms of the equality of its people BUT it
is making steady progress all the time .Whom ever India elects is their affair but I hope
that who ever it maybe he/she will remember to stay true to the democracy that is India and
govern only in the people's best interest in accordance with the constitution .

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sureshan3 hours ago

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He know very well that he cannot make them fool again. Indians are regrettable for electing him as the PM. He is acting like a buffoon in the tent of Indian national congress.

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BPPutran39 minutes ago

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worst PM India has ever had, his 9 years of rule has disastrous consequences to India.

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(Additional reporting by Malini Menon; Editing by Jo Winterbottom and Robert Birsel)